kpopreviewed

[Album Review] DYE (11th Mini Album) – GOT7

May 3, 2020Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged GOT7Leave a comment

As mentioned yesterday, I will be reviewing two mini-albums that would be considered to be recent releases before going on to focus on albums released earlier in April. The second album this weekend is by GOT7, who have released their 11th mini-album in April. This is their 6th year the group has been active and considering 11 mini-albums, three studio albums, many singles and stages, this is a feat. And that is only their Korean works. The mini-album is titled Dye and features the title track, Not By The Moon. It also features a number of solo and unit tracks that the members have performed before at their concerts. These are only on the physical version of the album, so I chosen have not review them.

1. Aura – Aura kicks off the album with a very distinctive R&B track. The synths really give the song some life, boldness and profile. The vocal work was a very strong aspect of the song as you can tell that they pushed themselves to match the boldness of the instrumental. I like the smoothness of the vocals that Jinyoung and Yugyeom bring to the chorus. But the standout member in this song has to be Youngjae with his ‘Aura’ hook that is very addictive. I did like the rapping, but I think the song could have benefited with more robust rap sequences to drive the intensity. (8/10)

2. Crazy – Crazy’s strongest point has to be its erratic and chaotic drop which features the repetition of the line ‘You Make Me Crazy’. The buildup to this was also extremely satisfying, which is an odd way to describe it, given the result we get to at the other end. Everything else falls into place in this song, from their vocals to the deep bass that the song strongly utilizes to drive the song forward. Nothing feels off, other than the fact everything else feels a little too neat in this song. I would have loved to hear a little craziness, but I guess it wouldn’t fit in with the refined style that the group pushed for is all aspects other than the choruses. (7/10)

3. Not By The Moon (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Not By The Moon. (9/10)

4. Love You Better – Love You Better is another R&B track. This song stands out with its strong ‘Knock Knock’ hook that is embedded between other words in the chorus. There is impact when the members sing this hook, as the instrumental also mimics that knocking effect, which I find is very suitable for the song. The instrumental also contains synths that give the song a lot of varying textures that all blend with each other. The rapping is also a strong aspect, with a decent melody pulling the sequences together. I just wish the verses were a little more memorable. (8/10)

5. Trust My Love – What I have noticed is that the album (thus far) doesn’t depend on EDM as much as other artists or GOT7’s past albums. For the first few seconds, I had thought that this is the song that does switch to EDM. But this one ends up being a club banger track. There is that electronic influence in the song as well, but it is very minute and is barely recognisable under the pounding beat, which is (no doubt) the main attraction in this song. There seems to also be an ever so light sprinkling of a Latin influence. The melodies that carry the vocals of the members was also quite flowy. The ‘Trust My Love’ falsetto repetition is also another strong aspect. I really liked Jackson’s hoarse voice in this song, along with the subtle intensity from Mark and BamBam’s rap sequences. (8/10)

6. Poison – Poison is probably my favourite sidetrack on this album. It may or may not have anything to do with the multiple I have given the song as a result of their many performances for Poison on the weekly music shows as their secondary. But the song had always stood out as it managed to wrap the hip-hop genre in a very classy yet fashionable manner. This applies to both the rappers and vocalists, who all did a really good job. The highlight has Youngjae’s bridge, which felt perfect for Poison. I liked how they stripped away the instrumental so we could hear Youngjae in all his glory. I also liked like the deep bellowing synth that plays throughout the song and how the song faded out at the end, bringing the song and album to a close in a trendy manner. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.2/10

[Weekly Chart] 5th Week of April 2020

May 3, 2020Posted in Weekly ChartsLeave a comment

It has been another week and it is time we wrap it up with the Weekly KPOP Chart segment. If you haven’t noticed (and I don’t blame you, all the days are now a blur with this staying at home business), we have entered May and it seems we are about to be thrown in a hectic first half month with countless comebacks confirmed. I haven’t even considered upcoming debuts yet! But before we can move forward with reviewing albums and comebacks, we must push forward with this week’s Weekly KPOP Chart post.

For the fifth week of April, the number 1 song is Oh My Girl’s Nonstop. But if I were to consider side tracks on the chart as well, you would find Oh My Girl’s Dolphin overtaking the charts. But the charts only focus on the main promotional tracks, so let’s switch our focus back on them. In the second position, we have Solar’s Spit It Out. In the third position, we have APRIL’s LALALILALA, which played switcheroo with Solar’s song from last week. Chungha’s Stay Tonight debuts in the fourth position, while NCT Dream’s Ridin’ completes this week’s top 5.

	26th May – 1st Jun 2019
	Title	Artist	Status
1	Nonstop	Oh My Girl	(new)
2	Spit It Out	Solar (Mamamoo)	(▲ 1)
3	LALALILALA	APRIL	(▼ 1)
4	Stay Tonight	CHUNGHA	(new)
5	Ridin’	NCT Dream	(new)
6	BAZOOKA!	GWSN	(new)
7	Not By The Moon	GOT7	(▼ 6)
8	Lucifer	NOIR	(new)
9	Dumhdurum	APINK	(▲ 6)
10	LIE	IMFACT	(▼ 4)
11	A Song Written Easily	ONEUS	(▼ 2)
12	Gravity	Ong Seong Woo	(▼ 5)
13	Oh My God	(G)I-DLE	(▼ 2)
14	2U	Kang Daniel	(▼ 2)
15	Wannabe	ITZY	(▼ 11)
16	Kick It	NCT 127	(▼ 6)
17	Soul	H&D	(▼ 12)
18	Lupin	DONGKIZ	(▲ 4)
19	Break All The Rules	CRAVITY	(▼ 6)
20	Home	Yezi	(▼ 4)
21	Love The Moon	VIINI ft. Lee Suhyun (AKMU)	(▲ 10)
22	Favorite	Kanto ft. Bumkey	(▲ 14)
23	Howling	VICTON	(▲ 1)
24	Good Night	H&D	(▲ 3)
25	Chocolate	Max Changmin (TVXQ)	(=)
26	Mixtape: On Track	Stray Kids	(▼ 7)
27	Hold	WINNER	(▼ 9)
28	Let’s Love	Suho (EXO)	(▼ 14)
29	Lie	Favorite	(▲ 1)
30	Q	ONEWE ft. Hwasa (Mamamoo)	(▼ 22)

Songs leaving the charts this week are:

Kick It – NCT 127
Home – Yezi
Everybody Has – Kim Chungha
Showtime – Spectrum
Timeless – UNVS
Break Up – Lee Young Min (AB6IX)
Love The Moon – VIINI ft. Lee Su Hyun (AKMU)
My Universe – CRAXY

Thank you for checking in and I catch you all in the next review.

[Album Review] Look (9th Mini Album) – APINK

May 2, 2020Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged APINKLeave a comment

It is time for another album review (sorry that this is another day late again). Before I slip back into reviewing some of the earlier albums released in April, I wanted to review two album this weekend that would be considered more recent releases. The first album is by one of the most senior female groups currently still active in the industry. Actually, I think APINK one of the only remaining groups to have debuted in 2011 to actually be actively promotion. Their latest mini-album is titled Look and features the title track Dumhdurum, among a number of other songs.

1. Dumhdurum (덤더럼) (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Dumhdurum. (7/10)

2. Yummy – Yummy is a classy upbeat R&B number that has a groovy instrumental. That aspect one a really attractive as it felt refined and bold with the thumping and percussion. What drew me in even more was the vocals. I liked how each member stood alone in the song and wasn’t masked by the instrumentation in any way. The song had a really nice fluid melody and I liked how it picked up at certain points, which help with adding definition to the song. An example would be Bomi’s section in the verses, which had a good wow factor to it. Another would be the ‘Do It Do It’ sung by Namjoo. (9/10)

3. Be Myself (JJR Unit) – This is a JJR unit track, consisting of Chorong, Eunji and Namjoo. Be Myself is your typical pop track. Its main instrumental centerpiece is synth beats that keep the song lively and bubbly. And I like how the upbeatness of the song suits the message of the song of being one’s self, as the title suggest. Eunji had an impressive display of vocals towards the end. Namjoo was pretty much forgettable for me, as I don’t remember much from her in this song after finishing a listen to it. But the main star is Chorong, who contrasts with her nasally vocals. The other two have clear and crisp vocals, but Chorong brings a little texture, boosting the song in my opinion. (8/10)

4. Love Is Blind (Y.O.S Unit) – We get another upbeat track. This time it comes from the Y.O.S Unit, which consists of Bomi, Naeun and Hayoung. It is a little odd situation as I had expected this unit to have a more dynamic and appealing track as opposed to the other unit. But the situation ended up being switched. There is a bit of a fun vibe that cannot be denied. I just feel that the song doesn’t go past that appeal, which is quite disappointing. Not even the hooks or melody offer much appeal beyond typical. Same thing can be said for their vocals. (6/10)

5. Overwrite – Overwrite is the first ballad on the album. But it isn’t that slow and typical natured ballad that one would usually think of. There is a beat to this ballad that gives it some energy, along with a really nice orchestral touch. The piano melody was also really beautiful. The vocal work here is superb as you can once again hear all the members very strongly. The melody that the vocals carry was also quite nice. I also enjoy how they sing the title of the song, bringing a slight twist to the end of the third ‘Overwrite’ that they sing. (9/10)

6. Moment – The second ballad-like song is Moment. This features an explosive instrumental, which is also very different for a ballad. There are orchestral roots to the instrumental, but I don’t think it is a clear-cut classical piece due to that explosive nature. Their vocals in this song is something to be talked about. As the instrumental is a little louder than usual, the group has to up their vocals in order to be heard. I did wish they pushed a little further as I felt (just) some of their vocals got lost in the instrumentation or felt overpowering. Not really a major issue, as for the most part they sounded good! (8/10)

7. Everybody Ready? – We end the song with a very fun song. It has an instrumental that will blast you and definitely get you pumped, as the members ask you if you are ready. For those who don’t know, Everybody Ready? was released in April 2019 as part of their 8th year anniversary celebrations. Dedicated to the fans, it features fans cheering them on as they sing in this loud yet enjoyable song. It is a lot different to their other fan-centric songs that they have released in the past, which were a lot less energetic and more melodic. But definitely a strong hidden gem on this album. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8/10

[Review] Lucifer – NOIR

April 30, 2020Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged NOIRLeave a comment

It has been almost a year since we heard from NOIR, who last returned to the stage in June 2019 with Doom Doom. On Monday of this week, NOIR made their comeback with Lucifer and the group’s fourth mini-album, Up The Sky. For those who don’t know or remember NOIR, they are a nine-member male group from LUK Factory. Their past releases include Gangsta, Airplane Mode and Doom Doom.

As it has been a while since the group’s last release, NOIR has become lost to the countless releases that have released since their last comeback. I do vaguely remember key descriptors that I have used for their past tracks – Intensity and powerful. Two words that would be too comfortable to describe Lucifer with. Coincidentally, it is also two words that I have used a lot to describe many other songs. One word I haven’t used to describe their songs yet is ‘typical’. I guess there is always a first for every thing. Listening and comparing the song with their past releases, it seems Lucifer is only intense and powerful when it came to only certain moments of the song, when the rappers come into play. It is the only element that really captures my attention. The vocal work is fine, just not really impactful. And it doesn’t help the song doesn’t have a more catchy hook. What we got was incredibly boring and typical. The chorus of Lucifer, which has been the main attraction with their last releases, takes on a melodic approach, which I don’t mind. It just lacks that, well, main attraction. It comes off as incredibly plain. Overall, the song just doesn’t do it for me. It needs to be bolder and contain another ‘main attraction’, similar to what Airplane Mode and Doom Doom had.

We all know of Lucifer as the angel who fell from grace. In this video, we often all a member dressed in white, which I assume depicts the fallen angel walking with other members dressed in black. At the table, this fallen angel sits at the head, which is where we know Lucifer would sit given his status as prominent member of the underworld. There was also a scene where one of the members was dressed in black, while the rest were in white (i.e. Lucifer before his fall). I did like the simplicity of the plot line and imagery. The lighting and effects seemed a little cliche and typical. I didn’t get the outside choreography shot we got at the very end. It felt out of placed and random as a throw in. But overall, a fair video.

The choreography was okay. I guess that since the song isn’t as dynamic, the performance doesn’t need to be dynamic as well. Most of the moves look rather standard and plain. But there was a few formations and moves that depicted the fall from grace in an interesting manner.

Song – 6/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 6/10
Overall Rating – 6.6/10

[Review] Ridin’ – NCT Dream

April 29, 2020Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged NCT, NCT DREAM4 Comments

The returning group of the day is NCT Dream, who returns with the highly anticipated, Ridin’. Technically, this is the comeback where the members would ‘graduate’ from the group, as they have reached the adult age in South Korea. However, it was announced two weeks ago that NCT Dream, after promotions for Ridin’, would abolish the graduation system and become a fixed lineup group. In more exciting news, Mark (who graduated from the group at the end of 2018) would return to be part of the lineup, where small units of the members (if not all the members) would promote under the name of NCT Dream. Definitely exciting news to all NCTzens who support the ‘young’ subunit. But we will have to get through the Ridin’ promotions before we get to that stage, so let’s have a dive into the new song.

Ever since the release of Boom last year, it was obvious that the group would never set foot into their more youthful title tracks. And that game changer song really set them up for future releases, as evident by the quality and style of Ridin’. The intensity that you can feel from the song really rivals the intensity that we got from Boom. The instrumental is described to be an urban trap song. I like how the song plays with the heavy bass synths, mimicking the sound when a motorcycle revs. Given their teasers and music video, I thought this was rather ingenious. Apart from this revving-like synth, I was surprised that the instrumental had a subtle smoothness to it. The vocal work was also surprisingly very smooth. Glad the deep revving-like synth and the rapping gave that rough touch to an extent. But all the members sound very on point. The song had a very catchy melody and ‘Ridin’ and Rollin’‘ hook as well. That kick at the end that Jeno and Jaemin brings in bridge definitely gives the song that impact and climax that boldens the song’s already strong appeal. I do wish they would have gone with something a little bolder so it could have a chance to rival Boom, which I think is still the superior song after writing this review.

To think that this is the group that kicked off their careers with Chewing Gum. They have definitely grown up. The music video seems to throwback to their Go days, where the subunit took on a rebellious phase as part of their growth. When you look at their releases throughout the years, it felt like they moved too soon into that concept at the time, especially since they followed up with We Go Up and Candlelight. The release of Boom really consolidated that image of the group maturing. And hence, the progression into this Ridin’ concept felt natural and the right step forward. Needless to say, the group looks really cool. I thought the set was rather nice, looking like a legit alleyway that leads to a hidden underground garage and mechanic (but obviously a lot cooler than that description!), like in those movies with illegal car racing events. A great music video, in my opinion.

The choreography for this comeback equally looks as cool as the music video. There seems to be some movies where the members mimic the action of revving a motorcycle and show off some other edgy movies. My favourite has to be the smooth move they pull off in the second half of the chorus, contrasting with the intensity and supposed roughness of the song.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.5/10

[Review] BAZOOKA! – GWSN

April 29, 2020Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged GWSNLeave a comment

Another returning group this week is GWSN, who made their comeback yesterday through the release of BAZOOKA!. This is their first release since wrapping up their Park In The Night and debut trilogy with Red Sun (021). This is also their first release since moving to a new label (MILES), which is a sub-label under their original entertainment company, Kiwi Media Group. For those who may have noticed, the group is down a member as SoSo is sitting out due to an injury since earlier in the year. Hope she makes a fast recovery!

Through their previous promotions, the group has developed a very strong association with the quirky and upbeat side of EDM and house music. And I feel like the group could have continued on with this sound and style through their future releases without replicating a carbon copy of their three previous title tracks. BAZOOKA! steps into a different direction entirely, which I am quite sure they have chosen this route to show off some variety in their discography. But I do feel like they stepped into that questionable ‘typical’ region with this new song. It partly conforms to what we hear from other female groups and as a result, I feel that they lost that individuality that they kicked their careers off with. But it isn’t all bad news. They do show off their strong cards in this song. BAZOOKA! is a very bright and upbeat pop track. There is a subtle retro root to the instrumental that I did enjoy. There is also good energy that does keep the song from becoming overly boring. I also like the song’s catchy hooks, particularly the ‘Watch Me, Catch Me‘ repetition and cutesy sounding ‘Play BAZOOKA!‘ that they ‘shout out’ during the chorus and post-chorus hook. Their vocals are what I am a little torn about. The more cutesy parts seem okay (I know, I can’t believe that I enjoyed it), but their other vocals seem a little plain (and is one of the drivers to the early ‘typical’ direction complaint).

The music video opens up with the line ‘Ever have that feeling where you’re not sure if you’re awake or dreaming?‘, which actually sent me chills. It sets the scene to the video and help connect the song to the music. At first, I thought the video had an Alice in Wonderland theme, which is the go-to fairy tale for KPOP video producers to play with. But instead, the members of GWSN had to go around through different doors to find special keys to open the universe, based on the lyrics. There was also some hidden gems of their previous video, such as the symbol on the book and the number 021. I didn’t pick up anymore, but I assume there would be others. The lighting and colours were also helped make it a fun video to watch, while that urban background to the setting helps make the video feel modern.

I thought the choreography was very nice. There was definitely a lot of energy in this performance, as its was jumpy and the music was very upbeat. I really like their ‘BAZOOKA!‘ move and the other hand movements that they do throughout the performance.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 7.9/10

[Review] Stay Tonight – Chungha

April 27, 2020Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged CHUNG HA5 Comments

Chungha is going all out with her upcoming comeback. Today, she released what seems to be the first pre-release single off her future release, which does not have a confirmed date just yet. The pre-release song is titled Stay Tonight and features both a music video and choreography, which is definitely multiple steps further than most artists take for a pre-release song. Chungha previously release Everybody Says (a ballad) earlier this year. I have yet to review this and will do so sometime in the future. Her last release that I did review happens to be Snapping from last year.

I am kind of glad that this is only a pre-release single and not the actual title track. I find Stay Tonight to be a little messy for my liking. The chorus, pre-chorus and verses seemed a little mashed together and this sounded as if something spoke in a sentence without taking a breath. I also find this messy mash to be interesting as the pre-chorus acted as the suspense mechanism, effectively delaying the drop that forms part of the chorus. While it does sound like I am disliking the song so far, I do like two aspects of the song. The instrumental is the first aspect. The verses has this classy groovy feel, which I really like. The chorus has an awesome, memorable and sassy-feel drop which makes this song a lot more appealing than how I describe it. All of this is totally up Chungha’s alleyway. The ending has a really cool attitude filled sequence, that has practically the same appeal as the choruses, just done with a completely different synth background. The second aspect is Chungha’s vocals. She sounds amazing, which helps keeps the song grounded. Her soaring vocals during the pre-chorus and the bridge are pretty much the main highlights of the song, apart from that final instrumental sequence. While the individual elements of the song were satisfying, it is more so the structure that could have been a little more spaced out in my opinion.

Chungha is definitely a person full of visuals. And this music video highlights just that. Regardless if she dons a casual look, a commanding look, a golden look or a glamorous look, Chungha looks amazing nonetheless. Even she pulls off a lip ring flawlessly. I also thought the sets were visually stunning. The floating panels and the framed rectangular prism all looks superb, which adds to that glamorous touch that the video ended opting for as the video progressed, a concept that without doubt suits Chungha.

Sadly, it has been confirmed that there will be no live performance for Stay Tonight for the time being as it is only a pre-release track. But who knows when it comes to her actual promotions. But this is a stunning choreography. I mean, he literally lies on top of her dancers and have them roll under her, so she moves across (like a conveyor belt). Thats epic. That final sequence also looks stunning and feels pretty much like something she (and any performance queen) would do.

Song – 7.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 8.5/10

[Review] Nonstop – Oh My Girl

April 27, 2020Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged OH MY GIRL6 Comments

Starting off another busy week full of comebacks from the industry’s big names is Oh My Girl, with Nonstop. The song features on the group’s seventh mini-album, which also shares the same name as the title track. This is the first comeback since the release of Bungee, the group’s participation on Queendom (where they came second, which earned them more attention and fanfare) and their return to Japan in January 2020. This comeback also marks the return of Jiho who took a hiatus earlier this year to focus on her health.

As South Korea will soon be entering a warmer climate as they have just one month until Summer kicks in, we can definitely expect to see a lot of songs from the KPOP industry to take on an energetic and fun vibe, typical of the season of Sun. While it isn’t the first to take on the Summer vibes, Nonstop is definitely one of the more obvious examples. The instrumental is a mixture of synth-pop and island genres, with a small injection of hip-hop when it came to Mimi’s rap sequences. As the first song of the year to use the island genre, the sound is relatively fresh. Though, I don’t expect this feeling to remain as more songs start adopting the 2018 and 2019 overused tropical and island trend. Oh My Girl’s song is pretty catchy, thanks to the addictive hook that they have embedded at the end of the chorus. I like how they add a little attitude to this one part, which definitely gives the song some character. Likewise, I like Mimi’s rap section as they added some edge to the song. What I also like about the song is that despite it being bright and energetic, I am glad that the group doesn’t go back to their cutesy roots. There is some points in Nonstop that does steer in that direction, but the song manages to stay on the more likeable side.

The song is about falling and loving for a friend. And they did so in a very beautiful and colourful video. The video takes on a virtual board game, which I think was a good concept. There is more to just the board game however, as their world seems to be overtaken with this virtual theme. This concept on the visual front alone matches the fun vibes that the song contains and the very bright colours really reflect that energetic side of the song, as well. The friend that plays the very important role of lover is a cute teddy bear. The bear does remind me of Ted from the movies, which probably isn’t the best bear/friend to fall in love with. Unless Oh My Girl has that effect on him, which I will totally understand.

The choreography is quite good and very energetic. Overall, I felt the feel and looks of the dance definitely fitted in with the song. There is a bit of aeygo, attitude, edginess and brightness throughout the entire routine. I just don’t find the moves all that memorable, which was a pity.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 7/10
Overall Rating – 8.6/10

[Album Review] Self-Portrait (1st Mini Album) – Suho (EXO)

April 27, 2020April 27, 2020Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged EXO, Suho (EXO)1 Comment

I guess you didn’t see this one coming. Another album review! And it isn’t a Sunday or Friday, which is when I usually publish my album reviews. Given that I had a day off work today and I didn’t want to fall behind in the schedule as I find a lot of albums recently released to be worthy of an album review. Today’s focus will be on Suho’s recent solo debut mini-album, Self-Portrait, which was released at the end of March. It features the title track, Let’s Love, which I reviewed on the same date of its release. Let’s see how the rest of the mini-album is.

1. O2 – O2 opens the album in what I would describe as a spectacular manner. The start of the song really feels like an atmospheric piece that is very aesthetic, while the subsequent energy that comes from this song really wanted me to continue listening onto the album and is extremely thrilling. The combination of the rock band instrumentation, the heavy bass and the classical orchestra gives off a grand and epic vibe that makes it so appealing. Suho’s voice is very light in this song and just manages to be heard over the instrumental at the end. A fine track to begin the album off with. (10/10)

2. Let’s Love (사랑, 하자) – Click here to read the full review for Let’s Love. (8.5/10)

3. Made In You – Made In You is a song for Suho’s fans. I thought his vocal style in this song was very nice and you can feel his intent to really want to connect with the audience through his voice. The melody that he sings was very pleasant and beautiful. The instrumental is more of a typical pop style, so there was nothing that special in that regards. But the drumbeats were very prominent and this made song captivating to me for a while. I don’t really have much else to say other than it is nice sound song. (8/10)

4. Starry Night (암막 커튼) – Starry Night is a rock ballad takes time to build up to its final form. But it is a ride that I am willing to take again and again as one of the charms of Starry Night is essentially that music journey that Suho takes us in this song. At the start, the song keeps to that ballad side and driven by just piano. A band influence kicks in when he enters the chorus region. More of that rock influence comes in as the song progresses. Once we reach the final chorus, the epic vibes return as the song reaches the climax during this part. I also like how the song returns to how it started at the end, which gave it a nice ended. Suho also sounded very dreamy in the song. (10/10)

5. Self-Portrait (자화상) – The album’s title is Self-Portrait and is also the same name of the fifth track on the album. The song has a rock ballad-like instrumental and it had a very pleasant melody which I enjoyed. The instrumental was also very complementary to Suho’s vocals, which were quite blissful. The harmonies in the bridge with the backing vocals really helped bolden this rock ballad and I really liked the autotuned echo during the chorus. There is a sentimental feel to the song, which you also get from the lyrics as well. Altogether, the song came together quite nicely. (8.5/10)

6. For You Now (ft. Younha) (너의 차례) – For You Now finishes the album with an piano dominant track. There is a bit more to the instrumental, but everything else sounded very minor to the piano. The song also features Younha, a well-known vocalist in the Korean music industry (I will get around to reviewing her comeback earlier in the year sometime in the future). I also find this track to be breathtaking. The two singers go extremely well with one another. Their harmonies blend nicely with one another. During their individual segments, there is a good sense of stillness that comes over me as I listen to the song. Altogether, it is a captivating ending to the album. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 9/10

[Album Review] I Trust (3rd Mini Album) – (G)I-DLE

April 26, 2020Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged i-dleLeave a comment

The next album I wish to review is a more recent release. Actually, this is the first album released in April of this year that I am reviewing. I am talking about (G)I-DLE’s recent comeback, Oh My God and mini-album, I Trust. This was released at the start of the month, so it is pretty much clear that I am still a month behind on the reviewing agenda. I am carefully scheduling the album reviews so I don’t fall too behind, so just don’t worry yet. Here is my album review for I Trust.

1. Oh My God (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Oh My God. (9/10)

2. Luv U (사랑해) – Luv U differs greatly from (G)I-DLE’s usual hip-hop sound. There instrumental employs a very interesting and experimental mix of synths which actually sound very sleek and unique. I really like how deep the instrumental goes and how this contrasts with that squeaky high pitch synth in the chorus. There is also a high dependence on bass, which really gives the song that foundation. I also the build-up to the chorus, which helps balances out the song. The vocal work and rapping were pretty good. My favourite part has to be ‘I Luv U, I Luv U, I Luv U’ repetition, which replayed in my mind for a while after I initially heard the song. (9/10)

3. Maybe – This album definitely thrives on the epicness that the songs have. This song really uses the bass to its advantage, building upon the chorus which features that cool sketchy synth. The bass is toned slightly for the verses, but it is still present. I also really like that ‘Maybe’ that they speak so coolly. I also like Soyeon’s speaking lines during the chorus. The verses were also pretty solid, featuring really fresh and pretty vocals. Altogether, Maybe forms an epic vibe and really has a lot of impact that I just cannot shake from my mind. (10/10)

I am not able to find an official video for Maybe, so excuse me for using a line distribution video to feature in this post.

4. Lion – I previously reviewed Lion as part of my review of all the final Queendom performances. You will need to scroll down to the bottom of the post, as that is where I reviewed Lion. Click here to read the full review for Lion. (9/10)

Overall Album Rating – 9.3/10

[Weekly Chart] 4th Week of April 2020

April 26, 2020Posted in Weekly ChartsLeave a comment

It is another Sunday and time for another Weekly KPOP Chart post. It has been a crazy week of comebacks, with the return of familiar names in the industry. And it seems like the influx of comebacks are just about to begin with big names in the industry return throughout the next week and the month of May. I don’t know how I will keep up to date with the releases but I will try my very best. In the meantime, here is the Weekly KPOP Charts.

Topping the charts for the fourth week of the fourth month of 2020 is GOT7’s Not By The Moon. Following behind GOT7 is APRIL’s LALALILALA, both songs have been playing repeatedly throughout the week. Solar’s solo relaease, Spit It Out, debuts in the third position. The only song that is not brand new in the Top 5 this week is ITZY’s Wannabe, which is a song not unfamilair with the Top 5 section of the charts. Finally, H&D’s formal debut with SOUL completes the top 5 for this week. For more of the charts, scroll down below.

	19th Apr – 25th Apr 2020
	Title	Artist	Status
1	Not By The Moon	GOT7	(new)
2	LALALILALA	APRIL	(new)
3	Spit It Out	Solar (Mamamoo)	(new)
4	Wannabe	ITZY	(▲ 4)
5	SOUL	H&D	(new)
6	LIE	IMFACT	(new)
7	Gravity	Ong Seong Woo	(▼ 1)
8	Q	ONEWE ft. Hwasa (Mamamoo)	(▲ 20)
9	A Song Written Easily	ONEUS	(▲ 2)
10	Kick It	NCT 127	(=)
11	Oh My God	(G)I-DLE	(▼ 8)
12	2U	Kang Daniel	(▼ 7)
13	Break All The Rules	CRAVITY	(=)
14	Let’s Love	Suho (EXO)	(▼ 2)
15	Dumhdurum	APINK	(▼ 14)
16	Home	Yezi	(▼ 7)
17	Color Eyes	Park Woo Jin (AB6IX)	(=)
18	Hold	WINNER	(▲ 12)
19	Miixtape: On Track	Stray Kids	(▼ 1)
20	ASSA	cignature	(▲ 3)
21	Break Up	Lim Young Min (AB6IX)	(▼ 17)
22	Lupin	DONGKIZ	(▼ 15)
23	Magnolia	TOO	(▲ 3)
24	Howling	VICTON	(▼ 2)
25	Chocolate	Max Changmin (TVXQ)	(▼ 11)
26	Remember	WINNER	(▼ 5)
27	Good Night	H&D	(new)
28	Rose, Scent, Kiss	Lee Dae Hwi (AB6IX)	(▼ 13)
29	Ice Age	MCND	(▼ 5)
30	Lie	Favorite	(▲ 5)

Songs leaving the charts this week include:

Rose Scent Kiss – Lee Dae hwi (AB6IX)
Jackpot – Elris
ROCKSTAR – Ravi (VIXX)
One & Only – ASTRO
Ice Age – MCND

Thank you for checking out the blog over the past week and hope to see you all again in the many reviews planned for this week.

[International Song Review] MONSTA X, SEVENTEEN, JACKSON (GOT7), CIX

April 25, 2020September 4, 2022Posted in International Song Review, JPOP, Western POPTagged CIX, Jackson Wang (GOT7), MONSTA X, SEVENTEEN2 Comments

It is time for another review of non-Korean songs, a usual review theme for Saturdays prior to the start of 2020. For those who don’t know, I have decided to cover more than just Japanese songs by Korean artists and I do this through this segment, International Song Reviews. This posts focus will be on MONSTA X’s latest Japanese and Western releases, Seventeen and CIX’s Japanese comebacks and Jackson’s recent Western comeback track. I have stuck to five songs per post as I think this is an reasonable number. Let me know what you think in the comments section!

Wish On The Same Sky – MONSTA X

We start off the review post with something a little easy on the ears. MONSTA X recently returned to the Japan with this pop ballad, Wish On The Same Sky. The song itself is one that won’t benefit when we dissect the song under a microscope. With just one listen, anyone knows that Wish On The Same Sky is to be taken in as a whole. The instrumental builds into something quite grand and extravagant. The loud thumping during the bridge is direct proof of this, giving the pop sound an uplifting boost. This gives the song a very alluring appeal. The vocal work is definitely the main focus of the song and it is also built upon to match the music, with Kihyun definitely shining in this song. The song also features Jooheon, who sings and raps throughout the song, despite being on hiatus for health recovery at the time of filming this music video and release. The only thing I dislike with the song is the shouting by I.M in the background, echoing what the Hyungwon and Minhyuk were singing during the pre-chorus. Moving to the music video, I found the breezy feel of the song was well reflected in the video. I liked how the music video didn’t take on any trends to give it that modern feel. What we got in the visual department was nice, simple and blissful. I also like the pale colour tone they opted for, as well. (8.6/10)

You Can’t Hold My Heart – MONSTA X

The second MONSTA X song, You Can’t Hold My Heart, is a pop-rock for the Western music industry and features the return of Jooheon, who was absent from their above Japanese release. I was lowkey expecting the song to drop or go into a dance overdrive, as that is is the usual style with MONSTA X in Korea (at least). But I also like how they aren’t staying with just that sound in their international releases. You Can’t Hold My Heart brings the spotlight over the group’s vocals talents, where the singing about the fact that love doesn’t stay around forever. Even I.M and Jooheon, the fierce rappers, sing over a nice band-like instrumental. I like the subdued nature of the song, soothing and peaceful in a way. The music video is quite simple as it is simple shot in a red box. The video gets a little complicated once you see members sitting on top of each other, walking upside down and even emitting coloured clouds that match colour of thier outfits. The simplicity and complexity comes together in a way that doesn’t over complicate the song and makes it worthwhile to watch. There is no choreography for this comeback single, as the group simply sings the song with microphone stands in a recent performance. (8.7/10)

Fallin’ Flower – SEVENTEEN

It seems that SEVENTEEN’s latest Japanese single, Fallin’ Flower, follows that mature and aesthetic sound that their Korean releases have opted for in the past year. Initial impressions of the song is that it has a very beautiful, refined sound and there this also this glowing vibe. The song has a nice melody that places emphasis on the vocal capabilities of the group, which puts a different limelight on the group. The falsettos we get for the chorus puts the song on a whole different level. The rapping was well mixed into the song, as well. The song’s ‘Fallin’‘ hook was also very flowy and catchy. The music video is extremely aesthetically pleasing, complimenting the aesthetics in the song. There is a fair amount of imagery in this video – most of which is a bit above me to understand, so I would love to hear your theories on it. But a very beautiful video nonetheless. For the choreography, I like their flower formation that they started off with. I also like the performance still remains quite powerful despite the song bring a lot more subdued than usual. It looks great as a result and definitely a showing of Seventeen’s talents. (8.9/10)

100 Ways – Jackson (GOT7)

GOT7 may just have returned to Korea with their first comeback of the year. But Jackson (and other members – I shall get around to Mark’s release in a later post) returned in March as a solo artist with 100 Ways. By the far the most catchiest song in this review post, Jackson really delves into the hooks and beats that no doubt with thrive in the Western industry (and has already proven to as the song had topped iTunes charts in multiple countries). I also found the song very easy to get into. On top of that, the music was very robust and there seemed to be a slight funky vibe. Both ended up making me groove along to the beat of the song. The thumping beat drives the song forward, while the synths form a concoction that is very addictive. Jackson’s raspy vocals shine through this song as well, adding to that dynamic appeal. The music video was equally as good as the song. The set design of that forest was awesome. I also really liked how Jackson and the female character rose from the grave and how Jackson went down with her at the end. The costume that Jackson donned also looked cool, but that armour sequence really looked looked epic. The other part of the music video has to be the cleverly choreographed hand motions. That was on a whole different level and very epic. Definitely as song, music video and choreography that you must check out. (10/10)

Revival – CIX

CIX’s main songs, while they have only released a few title tracks so far, have been of the intense EDM dance nature. But what CIX does differently is that is conforms to the trend of incorporating an epic drop into the song. Revival starts off slow, as a medium tempo ballad. But the instrumental they used opted for electronic synths, which foreshadowed the epic drop. But I liked how the vocals keep on that slow ballad-like feel. Then the chorus comes out of nowhere. And well, if you haven’t noticed so far, it is pretty epic. Not in the sense that is just throws every single synth known to mankind to make a ‘loud’ drop. In fact, it is more of a tropical based drop and is done so in a manner that sounds so refreshing. The rest of the song follows something of the same line, but they managed to do something slightly different every time. For example, the second verse added more of a beat to it, while the bridge took everything away. The second chorus added more synths to the tropical drop, while the final chorus incorporates violins to make it even more epic. The music video is filled with a lot of different closeups that look cool and interesting. I wonder the screen full of fire in the desert, the ball of many balls and the many other objects and effects in the video mean anything. The rest of the music video is made up of choreography shows, which shows CIX performing with string. There is a fair amount of tangling happening this music video. But that is just one of the complexity of the performance. Their individual moves also look quite cool and definitely features that intensity that CIX has associated with them. (8.9/10)

[Review] LIE – IMFACT

April 24, 2020Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged IMFACTLeave a comment

We are at the end of a busy week full of comebacks. And I have covered a most of the major comebacks and releases this week over the last few days. But due to a planning issues, I cannot get around to do them all. Hence, why you sometimes see reviews days, weeks and months late. IMFACT’s latest release, LIE, happen to fall into the days category, which isn’t too bad compared to other reviews I have delayed. This is the group’s first comeback in over a year since the release of Only U in early 2019. LIE is has been confirmed to be the title track for the group’s upcoming first mini-album, LL, which will be released next week. A very interesting promotional tactic for the group’s title track to unveiled a week before the actual release of the album.

The other day when I was reviewing APRIL’s recent comeback, I did mention that it would a pity for them to take a break and return with the exact same sound. But I did not need to worry as they used that time to reinvent their sound and it is proving to be very successful. I wish IMFACT did the same thing, as they are very underrated and definitely deserve some attention. Despite being absent from the stage for the same amount of time, the group did not reinvent themselves. LIE relies on that deep house EDM sound that we had heard many times in the past from many artists. While this does make the group fall into the trap of releasing another ‘typical track’, there is something about LIE that just sticks out at me. It could be that the song features a fake (more so subdued) drop at the start of the choruses that I thought were very slick and makes the second half of the chorus feel a lot more explosive that if it was stuck in the front and followed standard conventions. It could be the fact that the rest of the track featured a more clean sound, a feeling that I don’t often get for an entire EDM track. That, or the display of impressive vocal and rapping work from all the members. There was a captivating feel to these two aspects of the song that had me coming back for more. Sure, they could have been more robust and dynamic with their sound, But LIE does an impressive job, in my opinion.

The music video for LIE follows that closeup and choreography combination format. But there are a few elments that has my interestied in the music video. There is a nice aesthetics with the video, thanks to the darkness. The way the colour comes and goes (and how there was usually one colour dominating the screen once colour entered the visuals) was also really interesting aspect of the video. It makes the music video a bit edgy and cool looking. I also like that scene where they were all standing in a circle with microphones and the camera just circles around them. The pictures on the way that Taeho pulls off the walls seem to depict gender neutrality (you can’t tell based on just their silhouette), which indirectly shows us that the group is support the LGBT community. Their acting was pretty good in this video as well. You can definitely see them going that emotive direction based on their acting, which aids the song.

IMFACT’s performance that accompanied LIE looked amazing. There was that slick feel to it when they got to the first half of the chorus. And there was a subtle explosion in this choreography when it came to the second half of the chorus. The rest of the performance was equally as fitting, which definitely makes the performance appealing to watch.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.5/10

[Album Review] Continuous (6th Mini Album) – VICTON

April 24, 2020Posted in Album Reviews, KPOPTagged VICTON1 Comment

Since the start of the album review segment, there are many artists that I always cover, as their songs are always so good. And there are other artists whom I never dedicated an album review to as I have not really been satisfied with their albums enough. VICTON happens to be one of the artists in the latter category. I may return to their albums from the past through the Past Album Review (PARs) segment, but I have yet to come across an album by VICTON that warrants an album review. Until a few weeks ago, when I listened to the group’s sixth mini album, Continuous, which was released in early March. The mini-album featured the group’s latest title track, Howling. Let’s have a listen to the rest of Continuous.

1. Nightmare – Kicking off the album is Nightmare. Like the song’s title suggest, there is a dark sound featuring throughout it. The song kicks off with a haunting piano piece that resembles what we would commonly know as ‘haunted organs’. The song maintains the eerie feeling with a simple yet repetitive piano sequence in the background, which manages to shine through a whole bunch of heavy and deep beats. What I think stands out in the song is effect at the very end of the chorus. Don’t know what the effect would be called/described as, but it made the song quite cool. The singing was awesome, while the rapping was really dynamic (and probably my favourite out of the two – after all, Hanse is Freddy freaking Krueger). What a great start to the album. (9/10)

2. Howling (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Howling. (8.5/10)

3. All I Know – All I Know has a very impressive instrumental. It is a simple pop tune, predominately featuring guitar. There is also a snapping element to the instrumental and a deep beat to it. It may not be a unique sound, which is what I am seeking for usually. But provided that it isn’t something that is too heavily used at the present and it doesn’t give off an eye-rolling ‘again’ type of feeling, then I am happy to overlook the lack of uniqueness. Plus, it is always nice to revisit a familiar or nostalgic sound, such as the pop sound in All I Know. VICTON’s vocals also add a soothing touch to the song. Even the rapper, who has a voice well suited for an intense sound, was well fitted for this pop sound. The song’s melody was very easy on the ears and also quite catchy. (8.5/10)

4. Petal – Petal brings back that EDM pop feel that we commonly see as b-sides on various KPOP albums. Petal isn’t hard hitting like most EDM tracks. Actually, I would liken the song to a petal floating in the wind. That type of light music. There is a decent beat to it, but it doesn’t strike me as something memorable. A similar comment can be made in regards to the vocals. Their vocals do compliment the song’s light style, but I don’t find the melody to be strong enough to help make it memorable. The rapping by Seungwoo and Hanse does hold some promise, though I am leaning towards a similar comment after multiple listens. I do note that none of this means the song is bad. It was just not memorable enough to avoid being the ‘skippable’ track. (7/10)

5. White Night – As I have mentioned on numerous occasions, almost all KPOP albums must contain a ballad. It is an unwritten rule that somehow ever artist just follows. VICTON is not exception and White Night is the ballad of the album. The instrumental is very typical, starting off with a piano that ends up featuring throughout the entire song. The second verse brings in the drums but the song stays slow. The vocal work is a lot better in this song, as you can sense some emotion behind their voices. There is just a delicate feel behind their voices. But it is the rappers that shine in this song. They wowed me with their impressive sequences, which I feel like is a ‘hidden gem’ within this song. (8/10)

Overall Album Rating – 8.2/10

[Review] Spit It Out – Solar (Mamamoo)

April 23, 2020Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged MAMAMOO, Solar (Mamamoo)2 Comments

Solar makes her first solo comeback with the release of Spit It Out, which is the title of both her solo comeback mini-album and title track. For those who do not know Solar is, she is one of the members of the talented female group Mamamoo. As the group has become very established in the industry for their amazing vocals and catchy hits, the first half of 2020 has been focused on the member’s solo promotion. Earlier this year, we saw the solo comeback of fellow member Moonbyul with Eclipse, which was an epic comeback. Let’s see if Solar can be epic in her own right with her solo comeback.

Right from the very first second, Spit It Out showcases its edge by a Latin guitar riff and a consistent deep thumping beat. Just launching in with this simple combination and you can tell that the song will be very appealing. The song sounds epic with bass, which is definitely putting my new headphones to good use and I highly recommend you listen to the song with some headphones to get that same epic feel. I do like how they do build on this for the chorus, but I also like how they do keep to this combination for the song. It does raise the concern of consistency and I have to admit that the song very linear, as a result. But there is a sense of refinement if you look on the flip side of this consistency issue, which is a positive in a way. Solar keeps to a husky tone in this song, which I thought was unique. It is very alluring this way and really helps you enjoy the song. Part of me is waiting for a solo release that has her letting her vocal talents loose, knowing that she has that ability to do so. But at the same time, I am glad she doesn’t do this in this song as it would be really cliche. I do have three favourite parts. The first is ‘Set A Fire Fire Fire‘, which acts as the memorable line of Spit It Out. The second has to be the grand feeling of the bridge. The third part has to be the final chorus, where that final chorus really helps makes the drop feel even more impactful and (repetitive term) epic.

The edginess in this video just from the first few seconds of the music video really shows. That whole routine with the feline claws look very intense. They look so sharp that if one move was ill timed, there would have been some blood. Moving aside from that disturbing thought, I thought the use of fluorescent colours was really nice. Combined that with the really ‘out there’ fashion choices (i.e. spaghetti dress, cat claws, rubber gloves) in this video, Solar really knows how to stand out. This actually goes hand-in-hand with the lyrics of the song, which is all about being yourself and not worrying about what other people. The most jaw dropping moment was her bald look. That is a step that I don’t think any female idol has gone for a concept, but I think it is definitely wonderful that she is going to such lengths to make that statement. It definitely serves its purpose and caught everyone’s attention.

I feel like the performance could have been taken a step towards that that wild side more. It seems like it is held back so Solar can put on a live performance with a microphone. There is definitely potential behind this choreography. There is a fair amount of stomping and fierceness mixed into it. And heck, those cat claws come out.

Song – 8.5/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.6/10

[Review] LALALILALA – APRIL

April 22, 2020Posted in KPOP, ReviewsTagged APRIL1 Comment

It has been a while since we last heard from APRIL. Their last officially Korean release was back in 2018 through their Oh! My Mistake comeback. The group was absent from the Korean music industry in 2019, but they did make their Japanese debut with Oh-E-Oh, which was originally a b-side track on the group’s The Ruby mini-album. Today, the group makes their return with LALALILALA, which is the title track off the mini-album De Campo, which also dropped today.

With over a year’s absence from the industry, it would be a pity if APRIL returned with their usual sound. There isn’t anything wrong with their existing portfolio, other than it just didn’t work with the general public. LALALILALA definitely excites me as it goes in a new direction, just as I had wish. There is a beautiful aura around this song, which suits APRIL’s usually style. The instrumental takes on an electronic profile, which is very different to their previous releases. There is a strong beat in this song that reminds me club setting. There isn’t anything new with this style, as it is pretty much done by every other artist in the industry. But just before the chorus, the producers manage to incorporate what I would call a ‘ray of sunshine’ into the song, which gives way for a pretty and charming chorus. This makes the song conform to the group’s usual youthful and innocent charms. The way they do this comes off as fresh and is very neat as well. The song’s hooks are memorable and catchy and this is aided by good vocals from the members. I also liked how the bridge seemed to incorporate a bit of a rap-speak sequence. A more hard hitting rap sequence would have been better, but I don’t think that would match the group’s image. Overall, LALALILALA is a great return to the industry for APRIL. (It also seems to be paying off, as the group is now charting in high positions on the charts, which was never the case for the group before today).

I think the cosmic concept was really a good choice for APRIL, given that the song does have that vibe coming from it. It is very pretty and I liked how they made it their own, as the cosmic concept is commonly associated with a different female group. I did liked how the music video highlighted the group’s visuals and gave an opprtunity for the group to really pop out in their setting. Based on a comment on YouTube, the story-line of the video is about the members dreaming of success. Whether it is actual story-line is unconfirmed, but I liked the direction it went in. I have screenshot a copy of the comment below:

We only saw snippets of the choreography through the music video. But based on what I saw, I would say that this is a good routine. They bring their youthful charm to the choreography, whilst still adhering to the mature sound that the song steers towards. I liked the swaying moves for the chorus hook for its simplicity but also refinement.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.8/10